Knitting machine



June 8, 1948.

s. A.- MoNK KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. v1, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet l 8Sheets-Sheet I2 Filed Aug. 1, 1945 laf/6.3.-

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8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. l, 1945 By l www v y ev@ Attorney June 8, 1948. s. A. MNK 2,442,822

KNITTING MACHINE' Filed Aug. 1, 1945 a sheets-Sheet 4 `Inventor i y E i Q f r 'l4 25 4 Attorney June 8,149.48. l' s. lA. MONK 2,442,822

l y 'A KNITTING MACHINE' Filed Aug. 1, 1945 r i 's sneetsfs'heet 5 1 Inventor SWL( Ms. WM

Mirna),

June 8', 1948. s. A` MoNK' KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 19,45

8 Sheets-Sheet '7 F/G/Z June 8, 1948. s. A. MONK KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Aug. l, 1945 Patented June 8, 1948 KNITTIN G MACHIN E Samuel .Arthur Monk, Mansield, England, assignor-ofone-half to Mellor Bromleyand Com- '.,pany Limited, Leicester, England ApplicationAugust 1, 1945,- Serial No. 608,171 In Great Britain July 6, 1944 11 Claims.

machines of ,thetype having a member that trav- :erses toand iro along a liney ofknitting instruments. Primarily the invention .relates tostraight bar knitting machines-.of the Cottcns-v patent type, landyis concerned ,moregparticularly but not exclusively with hydraulic `mechanism forV traversingatleastone carrier orc-arrier rodthereof.

As viewed'V from one :aspect the inventio-n provides a lmitting machine of the typespecied having .an hydraulic piston-.and-cylinder =device for traversing theaforesaidmember, a pump for supplying hydraulic uid thereto, valve mecha- -nism for controlling the Y hydraulic fluid, and means for varying. said valvemechanism to-vary the traverse of said members. 'Where thesaid member drives or is constituted bya carrier or carrier rod in a Cottons vpatent orother lstraight bai-.knitting machines havingstops forv variably `determining the Vlength of draw .or .traverse of' said carrier or rod, the said varying means may .operate with the stops. The pump may be Adriven from the coulier or Idrawmechanisrrnin' which case it is preferably .of the double-acting pistonand-cylinder type, .or it may bedriven` from the main cam. shaft, or from the vhandwheel shaft or from an independent motor.

4Viewed from. anotheraspect, the invention provides a knitting machine of theaforesaid type having slurcock driving apparatus comprising a hydraulic pi-ston-and-cylinder device,.a pump for supplying hydraulic Afluid thereto, land valve vmechanism for controlling the lowrof `fluid between the pumpandV the device. The invention further includes a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machines, having at Aleast one double-acting hydraulicpiston-and-cylinder device for driving a carrier-or carrier rod, valve mechanism controlling the hydraulic circuit thereof` to vary the length of draw, azdouble acting hydraulic,pistonand-cylinder device fordriving a slurcock, end means supplying hydraulic 4fluid .to said .devices vThe .invention still further includes a knitting machine of the type specified, comprising a iplurality -of hydraulic .piston-andcylinder deviceseach for traversing -at least one member aforesaid (particularly a carrier or rod) apump for supplying hydraulic fluid thereto, a distributor for connecting said, pump vto .any selected oneof said idevicesand traverse-varyfing valve meansv for-controlling the :flow between 2 -thepump and theHselecteddevice to vary .the traverse-of thefmember drivenby that device.

Theoregoing and other features of the invention set out in :theappended claims are .incorporated in the construction that will. 4now vloe described as Aexamples of .the application. .thereof to a Cottons v,patent jmachinewith reference .to the accompanying drawings fin which:

Figure 1 -isa perspective vview showing the 4relevant-parts of a Cottonsgpatent machineincorporating one vconstruction according to the invention;

.Figure-2 isadetailof a hydraulicvalve, on a larger. scale;

-Figure is a lplan View of cams controlling the hydraulic-circuit and VFigures ,4 and '15.zare cross :sections illustrating switching mechanism.

Figure 6l is .a-V perspective vview illustratinga further I construction, and

Figures '7,-8'and9 illustrate the action' .of a valve therein;

`FigureV 10 Ais-a crosssection-through a further Jmachine according .to this. invention, illustrating the .application .of the A,invention to .driving any selected one of; a plurality of carriers;

Figure 11 vis-,af front. elevation, and

`liigure: 12 -is .a-plan of fa- -portion thereof;

Figure 13 is -a ,diagrammatic` perspective View of the relevant .portions of the mechanism;

I-1-'1igure 14 shows valve mechanism. in elevation, and

VFigure 15 is aplan thereof;

Figures -16 yand 1'7 `vare vcross-sections showing Idetails -of said mechanism.

Figures 18, 19 and 20-ar-e respectively anr elevation, a plan,.and section of certain details that maybe incorporated.

In the construction illustrated in Figure llthe coulier mechanism l (connected .to the slurcock tie bar or like. reciprocating part 2) reciprocates horizontally the .piston of a-double-acting .piston-and-cylinder pump li hawng the piston rod -5 projecting-at each end of the stationary `cylin- -der 6 through a-gland. This V'pumpe is connected by pipes to each end of the cylinder. Tofasecond double-actingpiston-and-cylinder device 8 (referred- 1z0-asl the carrier unit) thepiston rod 9 .of which projects horizontally-at each end of the cylinder l througha gland, .and is -connectedto the main carrier -rdrive HJ and thence to the selected carrierrod `=l I.

Two` vvalves .areprovided, respectively controlling the= hydraulicpflow toand from the ends of ille-second cylinder-1 .and the vDy-.lfss ofI oil or other hydraulic fluid between the opposite ends of the pump cylinder 6, so that the coulier mechanism I reciprocates the pump piston 3 with a constant amplitude, the second piston I2 and carrier rod II are traversed. The two valves are of similar construction but for convenience are given the references I3 and I4. As shown in Fig. 2, each consists of a body I having three ports I6, I1, I8, and enclosing a semi-rotary valve member I9 cut with a three legged passage 2D whereby as the member I 9 is rocked from one to the other of its two alternative positions one or other of the ports I6, I1 is closed and the other placed in communication with port I8. This gure is to be considered as showing valve I3 in the by-pass position and valve I4 in the coupling-driving position. Pipe 2l leads from the left hand end of the pump cylinder 6 to port I8 of the left hand valve I3 and pipe 22 from port I6 of the latter to the right hand end of the second cylinder 1 while pipe 23 leads from the left hand end of the latter to port I1 of valve I4 and pipe 24 from port I8 of the latter to the right-hand end of pump cylinder 6. Pipe 25 leads between `port I6 of valve I4 and the left hand end of the pump cylinder 6 and pipe 26 between port I1 of valve I3 and the right hand end of the pump cylinder. The valves I3 and I4 are respectively operated, each through a lever 21 or 29 and truck 28 or 30, by two spaced cam devices 3| 32 on the tie bar or other part 2 reciprocated with the pump piston 3.

The operation of the arrangement will now be described, assuming that both pistons 3 and I2 are at mid-stroke moving from right to left, and the valve levers 21, 29 are off the cams, 3I, 32 (i. e. valve I3 has been rotated clock-wise from the position shown in Fig. 2 to open port I 6 and to close port I1, and valve I4 is in the position shown). The pump, piston 3 cannot 'force oil through pipe 25 because port I6 of valve I4 is closed but oil can pass through pipe 2I to valve I3. Oil cannot pass through pipe 26 because port I1 of valve I3 is closed, but it can pass through port-l I6 of the latter and pipe 22 to the right hand end of the second cylinder 1 so that the piston I2 of the carrier unit is driven to the left. The oil displaced from the left hand end of the carrier unit flows by .pipe 23 to port I1 of valve I4; port I6 of the latter is closed and port I8 is open so that the oil enters the right hand end of the pump cylinder 6 through pipe 24.

Cam 32 eventually raises the lever 29 of valve I4 and gradually closes port I1 (and gradually opens port I6) so that the displaced oil from the carrier unit can no longer pass through valve I4 so that the piston I2 of the carrier unit is gradually brought to a standstill. As the pump piston 3 is still moving to the left, the oil displaced by it is by-passed through pipe 25 and port I6 of valve I4 and thence by port I8 and pipe 24 to the right; hand end of the pump cylinder 6.

The pump .piston 3 and tie bar 2 reach the left hand end of the stroke with cam 32 still under the lever 29 of valve I 4,

The tie bar 2 and the pump piston 3 then start to move to the right. Oil cannot pass through pipes 26 and 22 to the right hand end of the carrier unit because port I1 of valve I3 is closed but is by-passed (by way of pipe 24, v-alve I4 and pipe 25) to the left hand end of the 4pump cylinder. As cam 32 moves from under the lever 29 of valve I4, port I6 is gradually closed and port I1 gradually opened so that the by-pass (pipes 24 and 25) is gradually closed and oil flows in gradually increasing volume from valve I4 from pipe 23 to the left hand end of the carrier unit to drive the piston I2 thereof to the right.

Oil from the right hand end of the carrier unit flows along pipe 22 to valve I3, port I1 of which is closed and .ports I6 and I8 open, so that the oil flows along pipe 2l to the left hand end of the pump cylinder 6. Both pistons 3 and I2 are now at mid stroke, and for the remaining half of the cycle the reverse of the above takes place with cam 3I operating valve I3.

In order to vary the stroke of the carrier unit the two valves I3, I4 are adjustable towards and away from one another by a screw or screws racked `with the carrier stop screw or screws. In Ithe construction illustrated, the valves I3, I4 are carried by the stop boxes 33, 34 adjustable by a, right and left hand screw 35 racked in known manner by racking mechanism indicated generally -at 36.

As is known, in Cottons patent and other straight bar knitting machines wherein sinkers are progressively advanced by a slurcock, the carrier is given a lead over the slurcock. That is to say, the carrier commences a movement at an earlier point in the travel of the slurcock than that, in the previous slurcock travel, it came -to rest. A mechanism for producing this lead is shown in Figs. 3-5 in the cam device 32 for value I4, it being understood that a, similar mechanism is also provided in the cam device 3| for valve I3.

The cam device 32 has two offset cams or ramps 32a, 32h spaced apart by an amount L which provides the lead, the truck 30 travelling up selvedge cam 32a at the end of one draw and down setting-in cam 321) at the beginning of the next draw. In order to change the truck over from one cam to the other, the truck is slidable axially with respect to the valve lever 29 and is provided with a follower 31 for producing this movement. After the truck 39 has ascended selvedge cam 32a the continued movement to the left (Fig. 3) of the device 32 brings a side ram 32d against the follower 31 to displace the truck into line with setting-in cam 32h ready to descend the latter in the next draw. If in the cam device 3| the selvedge cam thereof is aligned with the said setting-in cam 32b and the setting-in cam thereof is aligned with the said selvedge cam 32a the truck may remain in the same position and will engage the selvedge cam of device 3I being then switched over into the track of the setting in cam of device 3l by a switch ramp which is inclined in the reverse direction to switch ramp 32d. If however, the two setting in cams and the two selvedge cams are aligned, it is necessary to switch the truck 32, at an immediate stage in each draw, out of the track of the setting in cam that it has just descended and into the track of the selvedge cam that will shortly ascend. The intermediate switch device for producing this movement is shown at the left hand end of Fig. 3 and in Fig. 5. It consists of a cam 38 having its ilanks disposed to engage follower 31 and to shift the truck 38 from the track of the setting in cams into the track of the selvedge cams.

The splicing and heeling carriers may each have a complete hydraulic drive system of their own as just described. For normal splicing, the valves are fitted one on each main rack screw and one on the splicing rack screw, but for plated splicing plating cams on the tie bars are used thereby giving a later movement to the carrier melamine@ l() 259% pipes'to' the right-'hand'ends -of thevcarrierl cylinder s, which byFpe-ssesatneumnttei fee-ef soi subsequently runs up the other cam device to raise the plunger to the cut-off position and to bring the carrier rod to a standstill. Therefore the location of these cam devices 3|, 32'in the length of the travel of the tie bar 2 determines the points in the draw at which the selected carrier rod commences and terminates its movement and they are connected by means 84, 85 to the carrier stops so as to be adjustable therewith, the valve plunger cutting off the iiow to the selected carrier-driving cylinder at the moment that the associated carrier rod strikes its stop.

It will be appreciated however, that the selected carrier must have a lead over the slurcock 2a, and that the carrier-driving piston must start its travel at an earlier point in the travel of the slurcock and tie bar from that at which it came to a standstill. For this purpose each cam device 3|, 32 com-prises two cams: a selvedge lcam 3Ic or 32a up which the truck 'I9 runs to terminate the carrier traverse and a setting in cam 3Ib or 32D down which it runs to start the carrier traverse, and the setting in cam is spaced outwards of the selvedge cam to an extent depending on the required lead. In order to ensure that the truck runs up a selvedge cam at the end of each carrier traverse and down a setting in cam at the beginning of each traverse a change over apparatus is provided for eifecting a relative lateral displacement of the truck and cam devices. 'Ihis apparatus may operate by moving the cam device's or the truck; it may derive its movement from a suitable rotary cam stepped disc, or the like, or, if the truck is displaceable, it may consist of guides which deflect the truck into the appropriate path.

Two arrangements of these cams is possible. In one, the two selvedge cams are aligned and the two setting-in cams are aligned. This involves a changeover at the end of each traverse and midway in each traverse and a simple arrangement of this nature is illustrated in Figs. 3-5. In the other each selvedge cam is aligned with a setting in cam and since the truck, having travelled down a setting-in cam will, by continuing in the same path eventually arrive at the aligned selvedge cam this only involves changing-over from a selvedge cam to a setting in cam at the end of each traverse. A construction of this nature is hereinafter described with reference to Figs. 18-20.

It is further desirable when the use of a given carrier is discontinued for that carrier to be run out to a rest or home position beyond the end of the division of needles, and when a new carrier is required for the new carrier to be brought in from that extreme rest position. This involves the provision of means whereby any selected carrier rod I I and its driving piston I2 may be given an additional travel to bring the associated carrier into or from the rest position. For this purpose two home cams 3Ic and 32e are provided for operating on the truck 'I9 which cams are suitably widely spaced apart beyond the other cams and are not adjustable with the aforesaid selvedge and setting-in cams, means being incorporated in the change-over apparatus for producing such additional movement between the cams and truck as will bring the'latter out of co-operation with the selvedge and setting in cam at one end and into co-operation with the home cam. Thus in taking a carrier out of operation, the truck 'I9 will miss the inoperative selvedge cam and will continue to travel out until lifted by the home cam 3Ic or 32e to terminate the carrier travel in the rest position, and in the rest position and in bringing a carrier into operation the truck travels down the home cam at an early stage in the draw and starts the carrier moving in from its rest position.

In order to permit a carrier to travel out to its rest position, the appropriate carrier stops such as that illustrated at 33 and 34 in Fig. 1 is raised (on the adjustable stop head carrying it) either manually or automatically through a stud or the like on the aforesaid patterning device, and when the newly selected carrier is to travel in from its rest position the associated stop is lowered by said patterning device but, being spring loaded, is temporarily lifted by the co-operating stop member on the carrier rod (through the medium of suitable bevel faces) and then drops down behind said stop member.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 10-13 the cam devices 3 I, 32 are movable laterally by change over apparatus.

For this purpose they are carried by a bar 86 supported on levers 81 pivoted at 88 so that the bar may be moved laterally. While any given carrier remains in operation the lateral movements are such as to bring the selvedge and setting in cams alternatively into the track of truck 19, and these movements are derived from cam 89 which is driven from the main cam shaft 42 and operated through truck lever 9D, link 9|, lever 92 and a slotted link 93, which at its upper end has a slot 94 in which a pin 95 on one of the levers 81 engages. This pin normally occupies the position in the slot shown in Fig. 13 and so as the truck lever 90 moves the link 93 (being in direct connection with the lever 81) effects the required change between the selvedge and setting in cams. When however, it is desired to effect a change in the carrier selection the bar 8G must be given an additional rearward movement such as will bring home cams 3Ic and 32e into the track of the truck 19. To do so the link 93 is pushed to the right Fig. 13 so that the pin 95 is brought to the enlarged part of the slot 94 whereupon a spring 86 eifects the required movement of the bar 86. The carrier hitherto in use thereupon travels out to its home position and is brought to a standstill in that position by the truck 19 ascending the home cam 3Ic or 32e. The carrier change is effected by the distributor 5I and at the beginning of the next draw the truck travels down the home cam and the new carrier moves inwards from the home position but at an intermediate stage in the draw the bar 86 is rocked forward from its extreme position to one of its normal positions. To do so the slotted link 93 is pulled forward so that the pin 95 is forced into that normal position in which it is shown in Fig. 13. The movements of the link 93 are derived from the drum or other patterning device 6I through the connections indicated generally at 91.

In the control mechanism for selvedge, setting-in and home cams shown in Figs. 18-20 the bar 86 is stationary and the truck I9 is movable axially on lever I8 by followers 31a and 3'Ib and each selvedge cam 3| a and 32a is aligned with a setting in cam 3Ic, 32b. In order to shift the truck 'I9 from a selvedge cam to a setting in cam at the end of each draw, the cam devices 3|, 32 have side ramps 3| a, 32a which engage the followers 3'Ia, 31h. For homing, two intermediate switch cams 38a, 38h are provided which are movable by control such as drum 6I from the full line to the dotted line positions, Fig. 19, and act on followers 37a, 3'Ib. For example, if it is desired to home a carrier at the end of a draw from left to right and to introduce a new carrier for the next draw to the left, the intermediate ycam 38 is closed in during the draw to the right and shifts the truck 'i9 into the track of home cam 32e, and in the draw (of the new carrier) to the left cam 33D shifts the truck from the track of the home cam 32e into that of the selvedge cam 31a and the intermediate cam 38a. returns to its normal position. Similar operations take place if the home position of the carriers is at the left hand end.

In certain cases, as for example, in splicing and plating it is necessary to employ two carriers. The additional carrier may be driven from the selected carrier rod through mechanical connections designed to ensure the correct lead and travel, or it may be driven by its own piston-andcylinder device. In this latter arrangement, the said device for the additional carrier (or for each of them) may be driven from an additional pump cylinder, or it may be driven from the aforesaid pump cylinder if the latter is of suilcient capacity and suitable valve mechanism is incorporated. Conveniently, the carrier driving devices S and the valves are located close to the carriers or carrier rods, while the pump is or pumps are located in the lower part of the machine.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine of the type incorporating a line of knitting instruments and a member that traverses to and fro along it; having an hydraulic piston-and-cylinder device for traversing the aforesaid member, a pump for supplying hydraulic uid to said device, two valves controlling inlet to and exhaust from the cylinder of said device at both sides of its piston and for thereby controlling the direction and length of stroke thereof, cam means travelling to-and-iro for operating said valves, and means for adjusting the position of said valves to adjust the length of stroke.

2. A machine according to claim 1, having a coulier or draw mechanism for driving the cam means with a constant amplitude.

3. A knitting machine of the type incorporating a line of knitting instruments and a member that traverses to and iro along it; comprising a plurality of hydraulic piston-and-cylinder devices each for traversing at least one member aforesaid, a pump for supplying hydraulic uid to said device, a distributor for connecting said pump to any selected one of said devices, and traversevarying valve means for controlling the ow between the pump and the selected device to vary the traverse of the member driven by that device.

4. A machine according to claim 3, having the traverse-varying valve means located between the pump and the distributor.

5. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the distributor consists of a plurality of valves associated with the several piston-and-cylinder devices, and having a patterning device for operating them selectively.

6. In a straight bar knitting machine having a line of needles, a member movable along it with a constant amplitude of traverse, and a carrier movable to and fro along it with a variable amplitude of travel; the combination of an hydraulic piston-and-cylinder device for traversingthe carrier, a pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to said device, means including valve mechanism controlling the hydraulic fluid, for varying the carrier traverse, and means for giving to the carrier a lead over said member by control of said device.

7. A machine according to claim 3, being a straight bar knitting machine wherein the said member driven by each device is a carrier, said devices are located close to the carriers, the pump is located in the lower part of the machine, and the valve means is interposed between said devices and the pump.

8. In a straight bar knitting machine having a line of needles and a carrier movable therealong with a variable amplitude of traverse and also movable to and from a home position; the combination of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder device for driving the carrier, -a pump for supplying hydraulic uid to said device, traversevarying valve means for controlling the iiow between said pump and device to vary the amplitude of traverse of the carrier, and means controlling said valve means for causing said device to shift the carrier into and out of its home position.

9. A machine according to claim 6, wherein the said means comprises a selvedge cam for terminating the carrier traverse, a setting-in cam for initiating it, which cams are spaced apart by an amount determining the lead and are oiset,

` a valve operating cam follower for engaging said cams, and change-over means for producing relative movement between said cams and follower to cause the latter to engage the selvedge cam at the termination of a traverse and the setting-in cam at the beginning thereof.

10, A machine according to claim 6 having homing means for bringing a carrier to and from a home position.

11. A machine according to claim 6, having homing means for bringing a carrier to and from a home position, which homing means comprises an oiset home cam and the change-over means is arranged to cause the follower to miss the selvedge and setting-in cams and to engage the home cam.

SAMUEL ARTHUR MONK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

